The Alphabet Soup of love
by muse of future history
Summary: Ten thousand apologies. I know that this is sooo late, but its finally here. Please forgive me and give this a read. The story is getting tense with Krum on the scene.
1. Trust

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The Alphabet Soup of love.
    
    Disclaimer- J.K. owns all recognizable characters. I own the others, or rather they own me..

A/N- this story is a fluffy fic, but has mentions of serious adult themes. I have chosen to brush over most of the events that happened in OOP, they are not relevant to my story, so don't look for many mentions of the Great war and ensuing consequences. It centers around Hermione, but there are mentions of other charactors.

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Chapter one.

Hermione glanced down at the book in her lap. She was reluctant to open it. Hermione Granger, procrastinating over reading a book! It was almost unheard of. The book was titled "The alphabet soup of love" and that was why she hadn't read it yet. The young woman regarded any self-help books with distrust or amusement, and a book with such a silly title couldn't be helpful in anything. 

It had been given to her as a gift by Ginny, who had been notorious for her twisted love life, until she read "The Alphabet soup of love". She claimed that the book brought her her true happiness. Harry. Hermione didn't believe that it was the book that changed her friend, more it was Harry and his green eyes. However Ginny was adamant that the Alphabet soup of love had led her to find her one true love. 

Hermione wasn't sure that she could find her true love, especially with a self-help book. What would she do if she didn't have one? Surely she would have found someone by now. Yet as a highly successful diplomat in muggle relations, she had only a string of failed romances behind her. She had never been in love, and she was sure no one had ever loved her. Now at 24 she had out grown her childish idea that she would find her Mr. Right and focussed solely on her job and friends. All you need is friends she mused, yet something deep inside her cried out 'no, its not all, you know you need more'. It was this voice that had eventually tipped the balance to lead Hermione to be contemplating reading the Alphabet.

The back page read:

"_This book is one that will lead you to find your inner most loves and desires. It will solve those unanswered questions in your life by letting you know exactly who loves you, needs you and trusts you with their life. It should not be read lightly, for the magic contained within these pages works instantly to change the course of fate, bringing you closer to the happiness that you deserve._

It was as corny as any self help book that Hermione had ever had the misfortune of reading the back of, yet a thrill of anticipation shivered down her back at the word "_the happiness you deserve_". She did deserve happiness. She worked all day, every day, smoothing down any difficulties that were caused by the interactions wizards and witches had with muggles. Memory charms, fast-talking and on-the-spot fines to the offending witch or wizard were all part of a day's work, yet she didn't enjoy her work. She could be doing so much more with her life, any witch with a modicum of intelligence could do her job, 'maybe not as well' she thought with pride, but they could still do the same thing as her. 

She wanted to work in the Ministries spell chambers, creating and altering spells, investigating obsolete usages, using more of her mind then her tact. This angry, bitter thought was the decider. She would read the first page, and see if it changed her life, any change would be welcomed at this point. 

XXXXXXXX

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You have now taken the first step to your future. Every line you read bring you closer to any revelations you desire, and your future as the most content, happy and beautiful person you can be in the future. "Really…' thought Hermione 'I guess some time passed when I was reading that, so I am closer to the future, in fact, I'm in the future. Stop it girl' she admonished 'Focus, or we will be reading this all night.'

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You now must chose what you want this book to do for you. It will give you insights in to all aspects of your love, from those you adore to those who worship you. Yet you must make a conscious decision on whether you trust the book to do this for you. If you don't trust the book it will still work, but the results can take a lot longer to show, and can be uncertain. "How do I trust a book to tell me who loves me? I don't even know that myself; why would an inanimate object?

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If you feel that trusting a book would be to too hard then read on, I will share my secrets on how to accept help from any source, however unlikely. "What makes you think I need help, especially from you? I am perfectly capable of helping myself. I am just reading this because of morbid curiosity."

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You feel that you have no one in your life that you can turn to, no one that you can you can trust to help you and so you have turn to a self-help book, the last resort of a desperate witch, and that is what you are. Desperate for love, otherwise, why would you be reading this? Ouch! Is this supposed to be making me want to read this? 

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Don't despair though, as I have hope for you, prepackaged in this book form for your convenience. Within these pages are the words of the alphabet of love, from A to Z, Adore to Zest, Amore to Zeal. You will have found a pack of cards with the book. Keep these, as they are your connection to the book. You work the cards so that what the book tells you is specific to you. This is not mumbo-jumbo, nor a cheap charm. Within the cards are powerful spells and charms that can sense your relationship to other people. They will let you know which card you should pick up. 

The way you use them, and this book and card system is thus:

Shuffle the cards, thinking of those people you are close to, or interact with regularly When you feel you should stop shuffling; stop, this is the cards way of communicating to you that they have learned enough to let you use the book. The card on the top of the pile is your card. Pick it up. It will correspond to a page in the book. Turn to that page. The page will give a word, part of the alphabet, and will give you a message. If you pay heed to the message you will find that it will come true for you, if you notice it. 

Now, shuffle the cards and start your life of soup.

'Start my life of soup! What is that meant to mean, I am going to loose all my teeth?' Hermione shook her head. 'What was I thinking when I contemplated using a book to change my life?' 

She looked down at the cards that lay on the table, next to the card that Ginny had sent with the book. Written on Ginny's was:

"_I know you think that your life is complete, but I know that you need to find your One, like I have with Harry. Please, let this book help you. You will find yourself very surprised". _

'Surprised or dissatisfied' thought Hermione, but out of respect for her friend she picked up the cards and started to shuffle them. 'What was I meant to think about… people close to me. Ginny, Harry, Ron, Fred, George…Percy. The people at work…Edward, Chloe. Every day folk…the grocer? Next door? This is silly. I am going to stop shuffling here, I feel ridiculous."

****

TRUST

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Trust, in the alphabet of love means, a reliance on another person, to the extent that you would willingly surrender control to that person. It's the overwhelming confidence in that person that they will never betray you.

In the more specific use of the word that is important in the soup; **trust** is the word used when you place all your emotional baggage and fears with a person, and are at your most vulnerable, yet feel safer with them knowing, then when you kept it a secret. 

In your life at the moment there is one person you should trust implicitly, and yet you haven't told them your biggest secret. Once you tell this person you will feel 100% better about life and love. Over the next 48 hours you will be given an opportunity to tell this person your secret. 

Be warned that if you don't use this opportunity then you never will get it back. A wasted chance is a closed door.

The person you trust will not betray your secret, trust me.

XXXXXXXX

Trust a book? Trust a person with her secret, Trust Trust Trust. Everything was about that word. Hermione trusted people. She trusted all her friends not to hurt her, her colleagues to stand by her decision, her parents to be parents. Trust someone with a secret… that secret. That was something she wasn't sure she could do.

She had no further time for ruminations, as her door suddenly burst open. The youngest redheaded Weasley flew in, and plonked herself on Hermiones sofa. Her face was beet red and she was gasping for breath, obviously she had been running fast. She had a look of panic on her face that Hermione knew only too well. It was the look she got when she needed help with a relationship, when she felt overwhelmed by the situation. Hermione had seen it many times, but had hoped never to see it again as she thought that Ginny would be stable with Harry.

"What happened Gin? Is it something to do with Harry?" There was no response from the sofa, just the blank stare that had replaced the panic. "Tell me, you know you always feel better when you talk it over. Don't you trust me to keep it secret?" There was that word again. Trust. Did Ginny trust her? Hermione thought she did, yet she had not trusted Ginny with her biggest secret. Hermiones thoughts were again interrupted by Ginny.

"He proposed tonight."

"What did you say? You said yes didn't you… you said that you wanted to marry him yesterday…"

"Of course I said yes. I love him more then life, he is my life… but I'm scared. What if he gets bored of me? We've only been dating for a month."

'Ginny Weasley, he has known you for over a decade. If he were ever going to get bored of you then he would be by now. He loves you as much as you love him, and he obviously wants to spend the rest of his life with you. Do you want to spend the rest of you life with him, or are you going to sit on my couch forever?" With this question Hermione stood up and went to the kitchen to make tea. Tea always calmed down the hysterics of Ginny's love life and gave her time to think without disruption. 'So Harry finally popped the question, and Ginny's freaking out. Why is this? A-she doesn't love him. No that's true. B- she is going to miss her party life style. No it can't be that. Ginny had finished that period of her life years ago. Or C- could it be that Ginny was scared to make the big step from Weasley to Potter, with all of its complications. That was it!' Hermione thought triumphantly. She finished the tea making and walked back out to the lounge. 

"Ginny darling, did Harry say whether he wanted you to have his last name or if you could keep your name?" Hermione knew how much pride Ginny had in being a Weasley. Her job as a fashion journalist meant that the Weasley name was famous in all the right circles. Her column was called _"Weaseling it out_" and she loved being the Weasel. Ginny raised her eyes to Hermiones. She had guessed right.

"No he didn't, but I'm sure he wants me to continue the Potter line. When he proposed I was so happy I could burst, but then all I could see was 'Pottering around with Potter'. It sounds like a gardening article. I don't know how to garden!" with this comment she dissolved into tears. "I feel so silly. It's just a name, but I love it. I always wanted to become successful, and have people know it was a Weasley who got there. I don't want to be just Harry's wife, I want to be more then that. I want to bring the Weasley name out of the back cupboard and onto the mantel where it should be." At the end of this diatribe she snatched at the tea that was waiting on the table for her and took a big swig of it, a sort of non-verbal exclamation point. The effect of this was ruined however when she scalded her mouth on it and spat tea all over Hermione. 

"Oh, sorry Hermione, sorry. I was just so mad at everything that I forgot it would be hot."

"Don't worry Gin", said Hermione wryly " just promise me that you will talk to Harry about how you feel. You are saying important stuff, but to the wrong person. It's not just about the name, but everything that has to do with marriage isn't it. I know you love Harry, but maybe you're not ready to commit to the whole deal. You are obviously very concerned about this and as your fiancée Harry deserves to know. Talk to him tonight or… where is he any way? What did you say to get rid of him to come here? Normally when you accept an engagement it would be very hard to ditch the fiancée."

"After I said yes I panicked and I ran out of the restaurant. I just ran and ran, until I reached your house. I knew that I could trust you to help me, I was so worried about everything. What have I done?" this was said with a look of horror on her face. " He is never going to forgive me, I ran away from him. Just like I did with every other guy. But he's not like any other guy…"

"No he's certainly not", said a gruff voice from Hermiones hall. "He has been standing in this hall for the past 10 minutes after following his apparent fiancée halfway across the city and has heard all he wants to hear. If you didn't want to marry me you could have said something" 

"But I"-

"No buts." Then Harry's voice softened and he walked over to Ginny, sitting pale-faced on the couch. He knelt down beside her. " Ginny Weasley, I love you with every beat of my heart, with every fiber of my body. You are my soul mate and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's it. The rest is on your terms. I don't care if we never get married, I don't care if we get married. If you want to be a Weasley then be one. I will change my name to Weasley if that's what will make you happy. I will do anything, if I could just stay with you forever, and never have to leave your side." He looked at her, with emotion shining in his eyes. Ginny was crying openly at this point. 

"Harry James Potter I love you so much. I do want to marry you, just not yet. I don't feel ready for it. I'm sorry.

"Don't feel sorry, I would never want you to do anything you don't feel ready to do, even if it is marrying me," he said with a roguish grin. "How do you feel about a long engagement, as long as you like."

"I love it. I love you…"

Hermione had slowly backed out of the room as soon as she realised that things were going well. Was that what the Alphabet soup book had meant about trust? Ginny and Harry had both completely bared their souls to one another, told each other their pain and it seemed not to have hurt them, but to make them feel better. Maybe she should bare her soul, to get rid of the aching canker in her heart. She was sick of the constant hiding from it, it was time she told someone about her summer in Bulgaria with Victor Krum at the end of 7th year.

Please review what you have just read. I really like this story, it's been therapeutic to write it after reading OOP, but I desperately need support, as the time spent writing this could be better spent on my home work, I need convincing I am not wasting my time. Plus, I want to know how I can make this better. 

See you next chapter, in a few days. 

Muse of Future History. 


	2. Trust exposed

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Disclaimer- I do not own anything you recognize, and if I did own it, then OOTP would have turned out a lot different.

A/N- I have taken certain liberties when discussing Hermione's work place. J.K. describes the Ministry much better than I do, but I gave it my best shot.

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Chapter Two 

Hermione peeled her eyes open. It was time for her to get up, as her alarm was insisting, but she had only gone to bed a few hours earlier, Harry and Ginny staying late for an impromptu engagement party. The alarm was getting even more insistent. It had gone from an air siren wail to the next stage, which was SPLASH!

"Bloody hell, I'm up, I'm up. Since when did drowning become an acceptable form of wake up call, you damn thing." The alarm was a creation of the Weasley twins, the next stage probably dumped chickens on her or something, as if water wasn't enough. 

Hermione dressed slowly, thinking about the book. This was a common thing for her thoughts to be on, but it was the Alphabet soup of love that had her attention this morning. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Hermione Granger, Aged 24, Single and…" or was that it? What else defined her as a person? "Unlucky in love, thinks too much, scared to break out the routine of life, taking advice from a recipe book…" was there more? "Wants to be loved with every fiber of someone's being and love them back in return." There. That was it. That was Hermione Granger. She threw a towel at her reflection and apparated to work.

XXXXXXXX

"Morning sugar plum, my we look like crap today don't we? Had a late one did we, any thing old Eddy needs to know? If you are transferring your affections to another man then I want to be told…" Edward was Hermione and Chloe's partner. The three of them had the whole department to themselves from 8 till 10 in the morning and so they had developed a close working relationship. Edward teased Hermione mercilessly, but she gave it right back.

"Yes I did, two of my closest friend got engaged last night. What's your excuse?

"O.K. Sugar. You want some coffee?" He deftly changed the subject, not ready to get in a sparing match with Hermione so early in the morning. 

"Yes thanks Eddy" she replied. "Where's Chloe?"

"She's typing up the reports that Cleveland wanted. He told her Friday but meant today. She will join us when she's done, but its time to start. Our first case is with the Mayor of a small Town in Surrey Hills. He just found out about the existence of Hogwarts this year, as his son was accepted. He's not coping too well, and wants to tell everyone. We need some very fast words, sugar." 

"That's your department. I can rattle of the legal spoonerisms but you can make people do anything you want them to do. Plus it's your turn. I did the last two cases of befuddled parents." She paused and looked carefully at him. "The caffeine just kicked in. You have called me sugar three times this morning. You know how much I hate that. I am not sugar. I am Hermione" 24, Single, desperate for love. "You call me sugar, I call you Edward…" she let the threat trail off. It was an old game between the two of them. 

"Finished!" came the triumphant yell from the back office. Chloe came walking into the room holding a large scroll. "I feel so at peace with the world. And so ready to kill you guys for making me do these reports"

"It was your turn"

"I did last months" They both protested loudly.

"Oh shut up and give me some coffee. Eddy, you're on the first round. You have to be there in 5 minutes, make sure you have all your notes, this guy is gonna be tough."

"Yeah I've got it all. See you soon girls." With a last flamboyant air kiss he apparated out of the room. 

"And its time for work, you want the Murcott case or the Richardson one?" Asked Chloe. "You know more about the legalities of spell creation then anyone I know Hermione, so you can have the Murcott one. Damn fool was a squib, yet he created his own spell. It was the only thing he could do. Should he be tried under Wizard or muggle law? It's up to you. I don't know enough about it." she shook her head. 

Hermione smiled. These moments were all she needed to live on. Friends and good, honest work. Sure Harry and Ginny seemed happy last night but they were also angry and upset. Was love worth the uncertainty? She wasn't sure. 

****

Trust? Who should she trust? She would tell someone tonight she decided. The book was right. She did need to get this off her chest and out into the open. It was dinner at the burrow to celebrate the new engagement. Hermione trusted everyone there, surely she could tell anyone. She would just do it, take a chance. She was not doing it because of the book, but because of what she witnessed last night. Talking makes the bearing of burdens easier Hermione saw. She had been a recluse too long. It was time to get out and talk to people. 

"You working or sleeping with your eyes open? Come on sugar, I've already sorted the Mayor out, and you have only written one word on the report…Trust? What does trust have to do with a squib who robbed a bank? Are you losing your mind sugar?

"No I'm not _Edward_. You are if you think you can call me sugar twice in one breath and get away with it." This was said in a saccharine sweet voice that just boded trouble. " You wait Edward, I will get you for that, if it's the last thing I do." She smiled at him, but he didn't catch the reference. She shrugged and turned back to work. The rest of the day past in a blur of reports and before she knew it, it was time to go home.

XXXXXXXX

The burrow had lights all around the garden in glowing pastel colours. They kept disappearing and reappearing in a very haphazard fashion. As Hermione grew closer she realised that they were gnomes, enchanted to glow, and were running around looking at each other's colours. It was very funny, so by the time Hermione reached the door she was giggling. The giggling only grew louder as she opened the door to see a glowing George Weasley. He was a lurid shade of pink, but he didn't look too happy.

"Hey George, you look pretty in pink"

"We were testing out the potions for the gnomes, and Fred thought it would be funny if I glowed for the rest of the night; pink being my shade."

"And you look fine in it." She reached over and gave him a big welcoming hug. He then picked her up and carried her through the house to where Fred was waiting, glowing a fluorescent orange. Hermione was too surprised to struggle, she just lay back in his arms to see what would be happening, and with the twins it could be anything. 

"I got her Freddy-boy. I think she would be nice in purple don't you?" With those words he dumped her on bed. Hermione pushed herself upright. She knew what they were up to now. George had tricked her into thinking that Fred was the one to look out for, but the two of them had colluded to get her. As she ran for the door Ron jumped into the way, also glowing a shade of orange. 

" You can't leave until you glow Hermione," he said in a booming voice, then he grinned. "Come on, the whole family is glowing so we can celebrate in true Weasley fashion." While Hermione was listening to him with an incredulous look on her face George tackled her from behind. He dragged her back down to the bed and held her as Fred came over to her holding the potion in his hand. Hermione glanced up at George, his arms still gripping her tightly. She was going to get no mercy from him. She shrugged her shoulders. If you cant beat then join them, she thought as she grabbed the potion and chugged it down. She felt it slide down her throat, and as it hit her stomach her body turned bright purple. She held out her arms as the aura strengthened. She laughed.

" Is purple my colour? We match George. Pink and Purple; we have to stay away Fred and Ron, they clash with us." They all laughed, pleased that she was joining in the spirit of the night. "Now that I have played your little game I think its time I went to say hi to the rest of the house hold." She walked out of the room, leaving the boys to fight over which one of them got to trick the next guest, Dean Thomas, into wearing a blue nimbus. 

XXXXXXXX

Dinner that night was a rowdy affair, as it always was at the Burrow. Hermione just let it all wash over her. She loved the feeling of family that she got here. The twins were currently demonstrating their capture of Dean; Harry's colleague at the ministry of recreational entertainment or as Harry called it M.O.R.E. sport. Hermione smiled absently at them. Ron noticed that Hermione was dreaming, so he poked her in the ribs. 

" Who are you thinking of to be smiling like that?" He smiled as he said it, a gentle teasing note in his voice. Hermione started back to reality. She looked over at Ron who was now grinning openly at the fact that Hermione had been so distracted. She chuckled at herself, thinking 'this book has really messed me up, normally I pay extra attention to what I'm eating here. I'm lucky I haven't turned into anything bizarre'. Ron was still looking quizzically at her, as she was behaving oddly for Hermione. She poked her tongue out at him and turned back to her dinner. 

"None of your business Ronnikins." As she put a piece of potato in her mouth she smiled to herself. What was she thinking about so earnestly he wondered, as did someone else at the table. 

George had had a crush on Hermione for years. When he had scooped her up at the front door it had been all he could do not to let his emotions show. He tried not to think about it though, he knew that she saw him only as a friend, and he would never jeopardise that friendship by telling her. He had heard Ron's question, and seen Hermiones response to it. Was she really thinking of someone? He didn't know how he would cope if Hermione found someone besides him…he would have to though, or risk losing her friendship. He shook himself mentally. 'Quit moping around, it's not as if she has brought a boyfriend to dinner, you don't know anything for a fact, you're just guessing. Stop it or else!' And with that stern comment to himself he went back to the dinner conversation.

XXXXXXXXX

Hermione had spent the night at the burrow. She didn't want to go home to her cold little flat, as she was enjoying the warmth and security of the Weasley family bent on celebrating. She was sharing Ginny's room with Ginny and Lavender, who was also close to the family. They were both sound asleep, every one having imbibed far to much alcohol after dinner. She lay in bed thinking about Viktor Krum. Every time she was happy her thoughts inevitably turned to him, and he leeched all her happiness. 

When she finished her year at Hogwarts she received a letter from him, inviting her to attend a further learning course held at Durmstrang over the summer break. She went, being interested in the teaching method, and the course, which was on spell creation, her favourite of the arts. While she was there Krum pursued her with an almost unwholesome desire. He wanted to renew their relationship. Hermione kept refusing him, but it grew harder due to the fact that she had nowhere to hide from him. After she told him off and threatened to tell someone what he was doing he stopped, and apologised. Hermione thought he had lost interest until late one night he broke his way into her rooms. She had fought him, but he was much too strong for her. He took what he wanted and left. Hermione went home the next day, without finishing the course, and had blocked the memory. Yet every time she grew close to a guy, she drew back and they sensed that and the relationship ended. That was the reason for her inability to hold a guy. She could not get over what had happened 6 years ago, it still haunted her.

With thoughts like these running through her head it was no wonder she couldn't sleep. She got out of bed and padded down to the kitchen with the intention of getting some warm milk, or something to ease the pain and send her to sleep. When she got there however she just burst into tears. She wanted so much to be free of him, and yet even here he followed her. She thought she could move on yet the book had dredged up memories of it. It was her secret and she had never told any one. 

She was slumped on the floor, sobbing brokenly when George came into the kitchen. He immediately went to her and hugged her. He didn't know what was wrong but he had a feeling that she needed soothing. He was not going to let her be alone, not his Hermione. 

"Hermione, princess, sweet. What's the matter? You can tell me, whatever it is. You know I will do anything to fix it." What could be wrong, was it her boyfriend? The one she had been thinking about at dinner? If he hurt her he was going to… inflict some very painful damage on him. Hermione kept crying, clinging to him and his warmth like he was the only light on a dark night. " Hermione, I will get him for you, if he hurt you I will hurt him so much more, sugar, look at me, what did he do?" Hermione pulled back slightly from his encircling arms, tears still running down her face, but anger burning in her eyes.

" If you ever called me sugar again I will call you Georgina for the rest of your life. What are you talking about, if he hurt me? How do you know what happened? What he did?" The last three words had been uttered brokenly, as if she was guilty about something.

"I didn't know, I guessed that you had a secret boyfriend at dinner, and when I saw you crying I thought that it must be him." Hermione had been listening to him with a slightly incredulous look on her face. 'He had guessed that she had a secret boyfriend at dinner? Rons' teasing must have been overheard. Well there was only one thing to do. Tell George about Viktor. Did she trust him…? Yes she did.

" I do not have a secret boyfriend." Was it her or did he look relieved at that? "I have been hurt by a man though" She started crying fresh tears, and pulled away from his arms. She looked frightened.

" Tell me, you can trust me with anything, I will not judge you or tell your secret to anyone…I will be your secret keeper" he said with a slight grin, he had been Harry's secret keeper during the war. Hermione almost smiled. He could be trusted, of course he could. Tell me his eyes seemed to be saying, trust me.

"I went to Bulgaria after 7th year to study at Durmstrang over summer, I was invited by Viktor. When I got there it appeared that he had only invited me for one reason, he wanted to have me… in the only way he knew. I refused to jump into bed with him and he turned nasty. Then one night…one night he decided to take what he wanted without permission." She broke off, looking at George with fear in her eyes, would he hate her now, dirty as she was? George was shocked, but only by the bravery of Hermione. She had dealt with this for years, she was so strong. He gave a shudder, he hated that Krum… He would get him for this, and make sure that he could never do it again, to anyone. He saw Hermione looking scared, did she think that this would change his opinion of her? He stood up, drawing her up at the same time. 

" Hermione Granger, you are the bravest, most beautiful witch I know, and I will do anything you want to get revenge on him." That turned out to be the right thing to say as she melted against him and just let him hold her as she cried her last tears. No more would she cry over what had happened, from now she would be plotting Viktors' demise. George was content to just hold her and feel her tears wet against his chest. 

XXXXXXXX

The next morning Hermione awoke without prompting by her alarm, then she realised that she was lying on the couch, with George's arms around her. It was just dawn, and the rest of the house appeared to be asleep still. She gave a silent sigh of relief, she did not want the teasing that would surely accompany being caught in such a compromising position. She gave one last look at the figure on the couch then with a smile apparated back to her house. She did not see a pair of eyes peering down at the scene from the top of the stairs. Or the look that George gave her from under his eye lids, the gaze that said clearly that the night spent on the couch with her was the best night of his life. The red head watching from the balcony spotted that gaze. Ginny smiled, Hermione obviously had started on the '_Alphabet soup of love_'. She loved match making, and by the look on George's face it was going to be easy.
    
    Thanks to all who reviewed. 

Jade and Jessica- You both said similar things so here's your update, hope both you enjoy it.

Dmbabe- I think this chapter will answer your question.

Anime Magic Girl- But I like George so much better. Thanks for the review.

Clare- My first reviewer. Thanks. The twins are my fav ship with Hermione too.

Please read and review. 10 points to anyone who tells me who was originally 'pretty in pink'. Hint: 80s actress also in the Breakfast club.

See you soon, 

Love Muse. 


	3. Joy

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Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters. They belong to J.K. the Goddess, so I am only borrowing them to do this little story for me and then she can have them back, she still has two books to go. 

A/N: Some of the Fuzzy Fluff that I was just dying to post, it makes me feel like a little girl again, all sweetness and light. **** ****

Chapter Three

Home. It was cold and lonely. She felt a pang of loss when she thought of the couch. It had been one of the best sleeps she had ever had, when she awoke she felt rested, with no nighttime fears. She wondered to herself that she had followed the books' advice, and now felt exactly how it said she would feel, relaxed about life and 100% better. 

The book lay on the coffee table where she had left it after she had read that word; **Trust. **She wondered if she should risk reading the next word. It had worked out the first time, with George being the object of her trust. She was curious about that, she had been friends with him forever, but had thought that Ginny would be the one that she confided in, but it didn't really matter, she guessed she trusted everyone, and it just happened to be George that showed up when he did. What was he doing up then any way? And why was he so certain that she had a secret boyfriend? She shrugged mentally, then walked over to the book. 'Why not?' she thought to herself as she picked up the cards and started to shuffle. 

**JOY**

__

Joy is a deep feeling of happiness, with something causing that condition. 

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Joy in the Alphabet of love means that feeling of happiness and contentment that you receive when you are with someone. It is the lack of worries and the sheer pleasure in being in that persons company. You think about the person with happiness, and you anticipate seeing them again. In fact, the elation you feel when you see them is second to none.

You will encounter the person that fills you with joy at the place where you feel most comfortable, within the next 24 hours. Be aware of what your stomach does when you see this person, and pay attention to who your thoughts dwell on the most when day dreaming. 

To meet this person you must go to the spot where you feel most comfortable. If you avoid the spot then you will be avoiding that person, and they are the one that brings you joy. Remember; a life without joy is a life without cause.

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Joy? What was that supposed to mean. Feel joy over someone. Hermione felt joy over many people, and for different reasons. Joy with Ginny, because of the friendship they shared, joy over her mum and dad, because she never saw them enough, even joy over Eddy and Chloe because of the challenge of working on hard cases. She didn't feel that leap of happiness when she saw any of them though. In fact she didn't feel that leap with any one. Was she joy-less in love, she wasn't sure. 

She threw on some clothes still pondering the **Joy **word. As she apparated to work though the thoughts of the book fell away. Today was the day that Cleveland was looking at the work her department had done. The three of them were very anxious over what he would say. They had developed a very haphazard way of allotting work, going by turns or personal preference. That system worked fine for them, in fact it increased their efficiency, but Hermione was sure Cleveland wouldn't like it, as he was obsessed with order.

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She arrived just in time to see Eddy being interrogated by the man himself. Cleveland was a fat faced, ruddy cheeked man who would have looked like Santa Claus if it wasn't for the eyes. They were squinty like a pig, and were constantly looking down Hermione and Chloes' tops. Hermione felt a wave of disgust as his eyes turned to her as she approached. They swept down to her legs, bare as she was wearing a knee-length skirt. Hermione hated feeling like a pound of flesh, and that was all he made her feel like. She had hundreds of jinxes running through her head but she stifled the emotion and smiled falsely at him.

"Good morning Mr. Cleveland, how are you this morning?" look at my eyes her mind was screaming as he looked at her chest. As if he caught the thought he looked up to meet her furious eyes. Eddy smiled at the sight. He knew that look well. Hermione was going to assert herself, and sure enough she did.

"Mr. C, I would appreciate it if from now on you kept your eyes to yourself, I am sick of being ogled at work and if I ever see you looking anywhere else but my eyes I will personally jinx you so that you can never look any where else but peoples eyes. My work ethic is the reason I work here, not the size of my bra. The jinx is irreversible, so it's up to you Mr. C." then to Eddy who was puzzled by what jinx it was she explained " It is a variation of the opticia blindousia spell". He looked impressed that she knew it. " Now Mr. C, what have you got to say about the way we run things here? Our efficiency is up, our customer service is impeccable and we are never behind, even when you change the dates of when you want reports in a transparent attempt to trip us up. We are the best department in muggle relations, and you know it. So, what is the problem?" Behind Cleveland, Eddy was clapping silently with a huge grin on his face. He had been told off by Hermione a few times and knew exactly how his boss was feeling, and thought he deserved all of it. Chloe had approached the group half way through Hermiones speech and was staring wide eyed at her. She had felt the same way but never had the guts to voice her opinion. Cleveland was also in shock his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Hermione stared haughtily at him for a few more seconds, then stalked away to her office. Eddy clapped his hand on Cleveland's back.

" Women huh. You just can't win. Now what was it you were saying Mr. C?" His boss looked at him then with a pop apparated out of the office. Eddy laughed out loud at that then exchanged high fives with Chloe. " Lets get to work, our way" Chloe nodded, still unable to speak, then she started laughing, and she laughed so hard that Hermione emerged from her office, slightly shame-faced.

"Do you think I was too hard on him?'" she asked worriedly. "I don't want to lose my job."

" Don't stress sugar, if he fires you then we will haul his butt up to the anti-discrimination council so fast his head will spin, and he knows it. No I think that Cleveland will be a lot more careful with how he treats women from now on. You sure know how to get a man where it hurts." He broke off laughing again, " Mr. C! Oh that's got to stick; I'll make sure it does. From now on Cleveland will be reborn as Mr. C." Hermione smiled at him then spoke in her honeyed voice.

"You dare to call me sugar after what I did to Cleve-Mr. C?" She tried to sound convincingly evil but the passion wasn't there, something Eddy had said was playing again and again in her head. 'You sure know how to get a man where it hurts'. Could she get Viktor in the same way that she got Cleveland?' She knew it would require a lot more subtlety and resolved to think on it carefully. George had said he would help her, and she knew that he would. George…he was so good to her last night, '_" Hermione Granger, you are the bravest, most beautiful witch I know, and I will do anything you want to get revenge on him"' _He thought she was beautiful? She had never considered herself beautiful. She had a proud, determined face, and her body was a little on the skinny side. Yet George had said she was beautiful. A small smile tugged at the corners of her face. 

"Hello? Earth to Hermione. Are you in there?" Eddy was waving his hand in her face with a huge smile on his face. "You totally spaced out then. You can't tell me you don't have a special someone with a face like that. Who were you thinking about? Whoever he is is a very lucky man, because I'll hazard a guess and say it's not me." Hermione jerked back to reality. A special someone? She was thinking about George, not a special someone. 

" I _was_ thinking of you Eddy, I was thinking how great you would look wearing a bright red dress, that you couldn't take off. I do have the spell for that…"

"Fine don't admit it, but I will find out. I have my ways, my spies into the secret joy of your life." With that said he winked mysteriously at her and walked to his office. Hermione followed suite, seating herself in the comfy couch in her office. 

Joy of her life? What had the book said? That she would think of her joy when she wasn't paying attention. Could it be that George was her joy, the one that gave her happiness? She thought not. Last night he had been there for her, that was it. She was still hung up on last night and so naturally George was in her thoughts, not for any other reason. She bent down to her work, ignoring the little voice that was reminding her what it felt like to wake up in George Weasleys' arms.

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George sat with Fred working out where their new stock for WWW should go. Their glowing potions were going on sale today, as was their new range of enchanted food, with the turtle tangelos that made anyone who ate one dance a tango in slow motion. George wondered if he could slip one to Hermione, he wouldn't mind dancing a slow tango with her. He thought of last night. She had trusted him with everything, how she felt and how it happened. They had talked for hours until exhausted they had fallen asleep on the couch. He had tried to take her up to her room, but she had clung to him and he couldn't do it. All he could think of was the feel of her warmth and the way she crumbled down when she realised that he would catch her. He must have had a goofy grin on his face, because Fred noticed his inattention and with a large shout of Wingarduim Leviosa he caused George to fly up to the ceiling. 

"So twin of mine, who are you thinking of? I know that it is a girl, and I know that you are insanely happy about it, you keep drifting off. I normally wouldn't mind, you needed to get a girl, but it's the dopey grin that is sending me wild. What would people think if they saw you? They might think it was me… and I would never look like that."

" Get me down Fred or I will hex you till you resemble a tomato." 

"A tomato hex? That's a great idea. Now are you going to tell me what's up, or will I try out the tomato hex, because your wand is sitting on the table…down here." He smiled wickedly. "Who is she George?"

"I refuse to submit to your crude tortures, I will tell you nothing, because there is nothing to tell. I have no girl, and no possibilities. I am simply happy for our sister. Have you seen how good she looks? Harry agrees with her, methinks." Please believe me George wished. He didn't want Fred to know how he felt about Hermione, because he would naturally try to set them up. George was sure that Hermione felt nothing for him, and that any attempt at match making would destroy their friendship.

" Well, I don't believe you for a second, but it is such a good lie that I will let you get away with it. Make sure you keep those dopey grins off your face though, you are making me sick. Now where should the Dutch Donkeys go, they are fighting with the Spanish Salamander Sausages." George returned to his seat, trying to blank out the happiness he felt when he thought of Hermione. 

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Hermione finished work and went home. She had been busy all day, but could not block out the feeling of George wrapped around her, she could still hear his heart beating under her ear, it was the last thing that she had heard before she had fallen asleep, consequently it rung in her ears. What she needed was a warm bath and a visit to… the place where she feels most comfortable! That was where the person that filled her with joy was supposed to meet her. She rolled her eyes, she would never bump into anyone there, how was this person meant to meet her? She had never seen anyone down there that she knew. 

The place that she felt most comfortable was the obsolete spells archives in the Ministries library. The library was in the dungeons of the ministry, and was nearly always deserted. Hermione felt at home down there, it was quiet and full of knowledge. The watch wizard knew her quite well, and always let her in to the archives, no matter what time it was. She could spend hours reading on the spells that had been forgotten by the wizarding world. The time spent down there let her forget that she worked in a dead-end ministry job, and let her pretend for a while that she worked in the spell chambers.

First though, a bath. The archives would wait, and the Joy-person, well she would never meet anyone there anyway, so that wasn't a problem…she thought. The traitorous heart of hers wondered if George Weasley would be looking up some spells tonight.

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George was worried. He and Fred were running out of ideas for their joke shop. The last idea, the glowing potion, was actually Rons' idea. In fact all the products released within the past 3 months were somebody else's ideas. They had joke shop block, and they needed to break it. They had no ideas, and no spells from which to build ideas on. It was a problem. 

"Hello, Hello brothers of mine. How are you on this glorious evening?" Ginny breezed into the store, surprisingly without Harry. She noticed their glum looks and her voice became less flippant and more concerned. " What's up with you two? You look like the daily prophet just published all your recipes and spells."

"That's the problem Gin, the spells." Fred said in a woeful tone. George could only nod, he was too depressed. What would Hermione think of him if he had no job? Would she even look at him? Ginny looked surprised.

"What? They published your spells?" 

"No, we have nothing to publish, we are out of ideas, we have no new jokes to sell. I think we have used up all the spells we know, and we can't find any more. We are going to start losing money soon, jokes have a very quick turn over rate, if your victim knows about it then it won't work. The new stuff always sells 100% better then anything over a month old." Ginny shared their worried look. This was bad. The twins rarely had mental blocks. Then something Fred said jogged her memory. 'We have used up all the spells we know.' Who did she know that knew more spell then the average person…Hermione Granger.

Ginny knew that George and Hermione had spent the night in each other's arms last night, but they didn't know that she knew. She also knew whom the book was going to be leading Hermione towards. Her own brother. She was pleased. They would be a good match. She wondered what word Hermione was up to, then resolved to find out tonight. In the mean time she thought she would share her brain wave with her brothers who were watching her closely, aware that she had thought of something, but unsure of what.

" Hey guys, you know who I think could help you out of your predicament…Hermione. She knows the most spells out of anyone. I bet she could find you a book of old jokes, that no one remembers, so you could use them here. I bet she could help you tonight too. I was just on my way over, do you guys want to come too?" this was asked with a grin, as she saw from George's face that he was indeed head over heels for Hermione and could think of nothing better then spending time with her. Fred was thinking of nothing but his business and how Hermione could fix it. 

" Yeah, that's a great idea Gin, let's go. The sooner we have some ideas the better off we will be. I cant stand this stupidity, and Hermione is the best person to fix stupidity." This was from Fred. He glanced over at George, who was wearing the silly smile that Fred was so sick. "Will you stop that bro, I was serious about the tomato hex. I can go to Hermiones without you, if you want to stay here and _vegetate_." This snapped George back, go without him, no way.

" Yeah right" He threw back. " The only vegetable in this room is you, you said it yourself, you feel stupid…like a tomato." Ginny decided it was time to step in.

"You are both tomato's, now can we go, I want to get to her place before it gets too late to come over." This shut them both up, for different reasons they wanted to go to Hermiones place tonight, not tomorrow. They grabbed some Flue powder and left. 

XXXXXXXX

Hermione was sitting in the living room, brushing Crookshanks and reading a book on the properties of various muggle medicines in medicinal potions. She was going to leave for the library after she finished the chapter…

"Hi Hermione' Came Ginny's constantly cheerful voice. "You have a few visitors." Hermione looked up as Fred and George emerged from the fireplace after Ginny. 

" Well it looks like we are going to need more tea. I'll go make some" she said to cover for the fact that she had no idea of what to say to George. Last night was very intimate, and now she felt like she should excuse herself to him, but didn't know what to say. She bustled around the kitchen yelling out to them inane niceties like "make yourself at home" and "I'll have the teas out in a minute". Ginny came in to help her carry them out. Then Ginny sat down on the floor leaving only one available seat, next to George on the sofa. Hermione thought to herself that it seemed a deliberate move on Ginnys behalf to have her seated next to George then thought she must be imagining things. Fred started to talk and Hermione stopped analysing everything she could.

" Hermione we need your help. You know the most about spells and stuff, and we" he indicated to himself and George, "need your help. We don't know any more spells that we can use to created more tricks and jokes for our shop, we are officially out of ideas.'

" Can you help us Hermione?" this was said by George. He wore a look that was very confusing to her. He seemed to be a bit nervous, and Hermione realised with a start that she was too. What if things turned weird between them? The secret they shared was weighing heavy on both their minds.

" I can help you quite easily. There is a part of the ministry of magic that is full of what you need. It's the archives of the obsolete spells. I'm sure there is a section that contains mild jinxes and humorous spells. I was going there soon, I will see if I can find a book for you and I will give it to you tomorrow." Fred looked relieved. For a minute then he thought that she was going to make them find the book themselves, and was trying to think of a way to get her to find it for them. He noticed that George looked a bit disappointed. Several things clicked together. Hermione had not stayed for breakfast in the burrow, she had left before the sun was up, and George had spent the night on the couch. George had been wearing a dopey look all day and Hermione was looking scared of him. When he had asked if she could help them she had actually jumped. George and Hermione huh? He wondered how it had happened…what had happened to get those two together. He noticed that Ginny was also giving the two of them an appraising look. He wasn't the only one that was on to the two of them. He tried to think of a way to get George to go with Hermione to the library.

"Hermione thanks for the offer, but you might not be quite sure of what we need. Maybe if George goes with you he can say if what you find is right for what we need, that way you don't have to make two trips. We are so considerate aren't we brother dear? And incase you have any ideas, I called not going to the library. You have to go. I win you lose." He said the last part triumphantly, quite proud of his maneuvering of the situation. Now George would have to go with Hermione, giving them time together. Hermione couldn't protest, he was being considerate. 

" I guess that would be fine" Said George darkly, looking like he wanted to kill Fred, Ginny was giggling behind her hand. She was aware of what Fred had done. Hermione wasn't sure what was going on, but now she knew that George was going with her to the library, her comfy spot, just like the book said. She realised she was blushing and stood up rapidly. 

"Well let's go then George. We will apparate to the Ministry then walk down to the library." Then she apparated with a loud CRACK. George looked over at an openly laughing Ginny and Fred and said menacingly,

"You ever breathe a word of this to anyone and I will hunt you down and feed you to a flobberworm." Then he was gone too, leaving two Weasleys laughing so hard that tears rolled down their faces. 

XXXXXXXX

Hermione had appeared only a split second ahead of George, yet when he apparated she was only a distant speck. He had to run to catch up to her. What was wrong with her? It was like she was mad at him for something. 

"Hermione, wait up. What's wrong? You are acting like you are angry with me. What did I do?" this was asked on a plaintive note, he didn't like it when she was mad at him, especially for something that he didn't know about.

"You know perfectly well what you did. You told your twin about last night. That was a set up if I ever saw one, and Ginny knows too. I'll bet that the whole Weasley family knows, huh, every one just desperate that we get together. Well I have news for you George Weasley. You might be my trust and my joy, but you will never be my love. So you can tell you family that I'm not co-operating with you." She turned on her heel and stalked off, clearly in tears. George watched her go, with a lump in his throat. Why had she reacted to the match making like that? He knew she hated to be pushed around by other people, but her reaction was taking it to extremes. He made up his mind to run after her, although she clearly didn't want company. He must sort things out with her, or forever berate himself for missing his chance.

He ran all the way to the entrance of the library with no sign of Hermione. The watch wizard at the desk just ushered him through the door, saying to him,

"She's hiding behind the enchanted plants section. You don't hurt her any more or I will hurt you." George looked surprised at this, but the guard was serious, Hermione had friends in very unusual places. George nodded his agreement and walked towards the section indicated.

"Hermione, Hermione please answer me, I just want to see you, talk with you" Hold you, love you, never let you go. There she was behind the far bookshelf. 

Hermione was so mad at him, why had he come into her safe spot? He was nothing to her, she wasn't going to let him talk to her, she was going to talk first.

" How dare you come into my head all day. I couldn't think of anything but you. The book is running my life, and I don't like it. Fred and Ginny have been trying to manipulate me into your arms and I can't do it. I don't want to be with anyone, because I can't cope. Every time I get close to a guy I freeze up, and I don't want to be frozen around you, I want to be warm. When I freeze up I can never talk to the guy again, and he doesn't want to see me. I want to see you again and I want you to want to see me." She drew breath and continued in a slightly less angry voice. " I don't want to have to live without you" she finished and looked at George who had been coming closer and closer to her the whole time she was talking. Her mouth was a heartbeat away from his, he could feel her breath dusting his face. "I'm sorry" she apologised, " I guess that didn't make much sense, I just don't really know what is going on, I feel like you're the one causing this confusion, so I am blaming you." She took a quivering breath, but George stepped in before she could start again. 

" Hermione, you will always be warmth to me. I will never not want to see you again. But if you need time to think then that's fine. I will let you calm down, you know where to find me. Before I go I have something to do." He bent his head down further so Hermiones lips tingled with the nearness of his, then she lifted her head and initiated the kiss, unwilling to wait any longer. George was surprised but pleased, he deepened the kiss, holding her close with his arms. It felt so right to have her in his arms, like she was only meant to be there. He knew at that moment that he would wait for Hermione forever because no one else would ever feel right there. He was content.

Hermione felt the same way, she could feel the beating of his heart in her chest, and her heart seemed ready to jump out and start doing back flips. She felt like she had come home, and she never wanted to leave again. George was the first one to break contact, pulling back to look her in the eyes.

"How much time do you need? I don't think I can wait long if you are going to kiss me like that, I will always want to kiss you. Please don't deny what you are feeling, you need me too. Hermione, we are meant to be together. You are not cold to me, you are still warm." Hermione smiled slightly at that, her mind still fuzzy. How could she be cold with his arms around her? She smiled up at his face and kissed him lightly on the nose.

" I will see you tomorrow. I think I need to think." Then she walked back out of the library, with a last look back at him, and a call of "The books you need are on the shelf you are leaning on. Study hard." 

Thanks to those who reviewed.

A special thanks to those that reviewed my Chapter 1, but were not thanked in Chapter two. You reviewed in the time it took for me to check who had reviewed and post my story. So;

Gwen Potter: Thanks for the encouragement.

Coriander: You really should write a Weasley fan fic, it's the most fun I've had in ages. (I need to get out moreJ )

Smudged: I bet you can work out who Hermiones going to be with, it's pretty obvious. 

Halfling: I love your signature, remember Sirius Black… How could any one forget?

Now to all who reviewed my chapter two.

Cosmicangel2001: Heres the next chapter for you. Don't die on me I need my reviewers.

Clare: Thanks again Clare, I love a repeat reviewer.

Tara: Thanks. I appreciate your comments.

Jade: Thanks also to Jade, another repeat reviewer.

Gwendellen Snape: I love your name, very cool, thanks for the review.

Singtoangels: A big thanks to you Sing, those sites will be very handy, I love a constructive review. Plus you got the Molly Ringwald question so that's extra bonus points to you. Thanks a million. 

Gwen Potter: Thanks Gwen for the repeat review, and the lovely comments.

Blood57- I read your story, I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks also to those who read and didn't review, you are legends too if you read my fluffy little story. I love any one who loves Hermione and George as a couple. George kicks arse over Fred, but that's just a personal bias.

If anyone has a story they want me to read I will, especially a Hermione/Weasley or A Draco/Ginny. Sorry, but I cant stand Harry as a character. 

Happy camping guys and I will see you all soon with an action packed chapter Four. We find out more about certain consequences of certain action, and its not what you think. Interested? Come back in a few days.

Love, 

Muse. 


	4. Repercussions and consequences

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Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue me, please. 

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A/N: I was thinking though, that the only person who could really sue would be J.K., and if she took me to court then I would get to meet her, and that would awesome. So if you are J.K. and I will meet you if you sue then go right ahead. If you are from Bloomsbury or Warner Bros. I don't own so don't sue. 

Chapter Four. 

Hermione walked slowly down the corridor, thoughts of George on her mind. Was he really the one for her? Did the book actually work? She wasn't sure she even cared if it did or didn't work. Something had happened, something that somehow caused her to see what was in front of her. 

George…did she want to start a relationship with him? She knew that he wanted more from her. The passion in his kiss had told her without words the depth of his feeling for her. She hadn't wanted to be with anyone more then she wanted to be with George, and that scared her. Was her future happiness going to be dependant on another person, and that person's happiness? Could she live like that? Now she knew how Ginny felt. That fear that came with loving someone… Did she love George? _Love_. She definitely needed time to think.

She apparated home, ready to go to bed and face George and her thoughts on him tomorrow. It had been a big day, at work and in her personal life. When she got home she discovered no less then three letters had been delivered in her absence. One was from George, one from Edward and one from Cleveland. She resolved to leave George's letter until last, it was bound to confuse her too much. She picked up the letter from her boss. 

Hermione Granger.

Re: Job Opportunity in Bulgaria

Hermione, 

I recently received an invitation from the department of Muggle Relations for one of our staff to oversee one of their new projects, as their department sub-standard compared to our high British levels. 

I had elected you to be our representative. It is a job without recognition as this is to be kept quiet, and it will be hard work. I am sure you can rise to the occasion, as you so forcefully reminded me today.

You leave by port key at 5 a.m. tomorrow, be at your office 15 minutes prior to departure for a comprehensive briefing. The date of your return is uncertain so ensure you have made necessary arrangements at home. You will not be able to return home until the project manger in Bulgaria is satisfied. I think you will find that working with him is a pleasant process, he used to be a high ranking Quiddich player.

Until tomorrow, 

C. Cleveland.

Hermione sank to the couch, still clutching the letter. Cleveland was sending her away, for an indefinite period. This was exactly the underhanded thing she should have expected him to do, yet it had hit her like a blow. It was a common form of punishment in the ministry to be sent on a no glory job. It meant a lot of hard work until she could go home, as the Bulgarian manager would surely expect her to do all the work for the project. She knew it was all due to her blow up at him this morning, yet she couldn't bring herself to regret what she did. He had deserved all that he got, and more. He heard on the rumor file that he was slapped by co-worker in another department and wished she had done the same. 

Her thoughts came back to George, she would have to let him know what was happening, otherwise he might think she was running away from him, and she didn't want that. She realized that she might be gone for over a month, and felt a pang in her stomach at that. A month without his pranks, a month without his warm arms and reassuring words. Now that she had found him she knew she didn't want to lose him so soon. She had wanted to enjoy the newfound love, not test it straight away with a long distance relationship. She sighed, life was getting complicated, and it was all that silly books fault. 

She reached for the letter from George, but changed her mind. She would read the one from Eddy first, maybe he would explain a bit more about this work assignment. He had many contacts, and often knew things before the person involved did. 

__

Sugar,

It has come to my attention that you will be leaving us on a disciplinary holiday. I wish you the best of luck… no seriously I'm a bit confused. Who do you know in Bulgaria? You were not the person that Mr.C wanted to send, he wanted to get rid of the blonde in the administration section, apparently she slapped him (not as much class as your dress down Hermione, but effective none the less). Then an owl came through from Bulgaria, inquiring if you still worked in Muggle relations. Then Bulgaria requested you specifically, and they must have had some clout, because Mr. C agreed instantly.

What's the deal? Do you have a friend or enemy over there? I think you need to share some things with your Uncle Eddy. Oh, and you need to tell your new boyfriend that red hair is so last season. 

Hoping for an answer, 

Eddy.

Who did she know in Bulgaria? Only one person, and she had tried to block that memory of him. She had stopped thinking of Viktor Krum every time she smiled, yet here she was, thinking of him again. What had Cleveland letter said? 'He was a well known Quiddich player' That could only mean one thing. Viktor was back to haunt her.

__

She could see nothing except the huge figure of Krum, his eyes burning into hers. His face was bleeding slightly from where she had scratched out wildly, and it just made him more menacing. His voice was growling insults 'Tease… slut… you had it coming… you deserve it after what you did to me.' Hermione was cowering beneath his gaze, pinned by the look in his eyes. They burned with a fire she had only seen in the eyes of death eaters and Voldemort himself.

The vision was interrupted by Crookshanks leaping into her lap. He had been out at the neighbors, two elderly spinsters who cared for him like a surrogate son. Hermione knew she could leave him at their house safely. In fact he might not want to come home. Hermione gave a manic little giggle. If Viktor had really asked for her then she might not be coming home. With that thought Hermione was gone. She fell back into the nightmares that had stalked her for six years, and into a restless sleep. She was to drained to do anything else.

__

He had burning eyes and hands that hurt wherever they landed. There was no escape; he had taken her wand. She had fought desperately, but he was far too strong for her. He was used to forcing people to do his bidding, and she had no defenses against him. He had taken down the walls she had built around herself, torn them down so that she was a shadow of her former strength. In the midst of all her pain the words he had flung at her rang in her ears. 'You brought this on yourself'. It was her fault, she caused all this. She could never tell anyone what had happened, they would know then how dirty she was, what type of person she was. The tears were running down her face, angering Krum further. 'Would this never end?' she wept as she fell into oblivion.

XXXXXXXX

George grabbed the books Hermione had indicated to and slipped out of the library. He felt like he was walking on air. She had kissed him, she had melted into his arms with a longing for him that he had never felt before. They were two parts of a whole he decided. He had known that she was special, with that ability to make him forget every thing he was going to say when she looked at him and now he knew that not only was she special but she was aware of how he felt. He had imagined holding her passionately, yet never thought it would be possible. He wondered what had changed. How had it happened? Was it with the night they shared on the couch? He thought so, but it seemed that there was an outside influence. His fists clenched reflexively when he thought of what Hermione had told him, he wished that Krum would appear so that he could tomato hex him. It would be perfect for him, really an improvement to his appearance. He decided to find out what Krum was up to, and figure out how to make him pay. That way Hermione might relax around him enough to start a relationship with her. He thought that the problem with Krum was the only barrier that was separating the two of them. 

He apparated to the owlery where he and Fred kept their business owls. He would write to Hermione and tell her what he was doing. That he had not tried to forget what she had said to him had not tried to block it out like many people would. He called his owl down. It's name was Marauder, in memory of the real marauders, all who died in the Great War. Marauder willingly took the note to Hermione, although it was hurriedly written on a piece of scrap paper that he had found in his pocket. The note read:

Dear Hermione,

__

I am just letting you know that I think we should find out what Krum is up to, so we can formulate a plan to get him back. Hopefully there's a great hex in those books from the library. 

Are you busy tomorrow night? I know a great little restaurant, you would love it, and they don't have any house elves. It's a Muggle place; dad put me on to it. 

I'll do some research on Krum tomorrow. Dad should be able to find him; he can use those big files in the ministry basement. 

See you tomorrow, 

George. 

XXXXXXXX

Hermione jerked awake, she wasn't sure why yet, then she realised that her alarm had gone off. But it was 4:30 in the morning! The sun was still asleep. Then the events of last night came rushing back. She had fallen asleep, to tired to cope with anything. Her alarm was enchanted so it would go off when the sleeper needed to be awake, a useful perk of being a Merlin class spell caster. She got out of bed hurriedly. She had to pack if she was to make it to work in 15 minutes. Lucky for her that her alarm had woken her, otherwise she might have missed the portkey. She whipped her wand out, performing the packing charm and rushed to the kitchen for breakfast. The nighttime fears seemed irrational to her now. She was a grown woman, and there was no guarantee that it was even Krum who asked for her. She had got to know many people in Bulgaria over _that_ summer, including Krum's teammates. One of them could be the Quiddich player that she was to be working with. She had to stop being silly and do her job. If she did it well then she might be able to apply to transfer departments, perhaps to the spells department.

She apparated out of her house, pausing only to write a note to the ladies next door, telling them to look after Crookshanks for her. She would be able to let her friends know what was happening when she had more time… perhaps in Bulgaria. She had always wanted to send an Albatross, instead of the normal owls…

The letter from George lay forgotten on the floor, unopened.

XXXXXXXX

Cleveland was waiting in his office. He was wearing a smug look and looked like the archetypal cat that swallowed the cream. He waved expansively at the chair in front of his desk.

"Have a seat Ms. Granger. So good to see you on time. I was concerned that you would miss the portkey, and that would be very embarrassing for you. It would not make a good impression on Mr. Krum, although, I believe you two have already met?" he asked this with a smirk on his face. He knew the answer, having been in correspondence with Krum, he was now aware of why Krum wanted Hermione to be the British representative. Apparently the little shrew had offended Krum in the same way she had offended himself, with her viperous mouth. They had commiserated together over many owls, Krum saying that he had a perfect plan to cut Hermione Granger down a peg or two. Krum had realised that she was working for the British department and sent for her, to give her a taste of her own medicine. Get her back for what she had done to him. This coincided exactly with Cleveland's wishes, and he was only too glad to send her away for a long time. The less he saw her the better, he knew that she was true to her threat. 

" Mr…Mr. Krum is the manager in Bulgaria?" Hermiones voices wavered. It was true. He had found her and for some reason he wanted to see her again. There was no escape, if she didn't go then there went her dream of working in the spells creation department. She would have to face him and cope the best she could. That way when she got home she could transfer out of muggle relations. She hated Krum with a passion, why did he want to see her? What did he expect to get from her? She was stronger now; she would not let a repeat of that summer happen again. She shuddered at the repressed memory. 

"Yes, Viktor Krum. He asked specifically for you, apparently you both work well together. He anticipates many long conversations with you, old sweet hearts often have much to talk about." 

He smiled his greasy grin. Hermione blanched. Did Cleveland know? Why did he smile like that? It was as if he was gaining pleasure from sending her to Krum. What had Krum said to him? Something that made Cleveland happy obviously. He had probably said that he was going to teach her how to respect her superiors, her superiors all being male. That sort of misogyny she expected from Cleveland, and Krum would not ever be satisfied if a woman was happy. In fact she didn't think Krum was ever happy, period.

She had maintained a close correspondence with him throughout her school years, and all he ever had to talk about was how he hated his life and wished he were somewhere else, doing something else. It grew so bad so that she feared that he would do something rash, so when she had the chance to go see him in Bulgaria she went, partly motivated by pity, and a curiosity to see if things were really as bad as he made out in his letters. They weren't, in fact he seemed to lead a charmed life, with opportunities just falling into his lap. In fact the only thing he ever seemed to work for was Hermione, and he got that in the end. Hermione had seen that he based his self-value on how popular and successful he was. It seemed to her that her refusal of his advances had come as a blow to his self worth, and that the only way to boost his self esteem was to lower hers, and ruin her life in the process. 

Hermione was vaguely aware of Cleveland's voice droning on about the protocol in Bulgaria. He seemed to have forgotten that she had been there before, and knew it all, as she never forgot any information. Then something he said registered in her brain. She asked him to repeat it, dread building up inside her.

"You will be staying in accommodation with the rest of the team working on the project. As it is a sensitive issue we cant have it well known that something is happening, so your quarters will be in the Bulgarian ministry. There will be no need for you to even go out side during your stay. Once your work is done Krum will send a message to me and I will authorise the port key for your trip home. Any more questions? I hope not, because you have to leave now. The port key is ready." He said this with another victorious smile. He was so glad to be rid of the meddlesome witch, and perhaps when she came back she would have some manners, although he doubted it. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. He smiled again. The _dog_ was going to find out how things should be.

XXXXXXXX

Eddy arrived at the office, a little after 5 am. He was out of breath and disheveled. His eyes searched wildly for Hermiones face, and found Cleveland's instead. He pasted a false smile on his face and sauntered over to his boss.

"Hey Mr. C, what's up? I was just looking for Hermione, I got some news for her, and I thought that she would be here this early, what with her leaving for Bulgaria today. I didn't just miss her did I?" At the affirmative he continued his bright conversation. " Well I guess that will teach me for not getting a proper alarm clock. I should really get Hermione to enchant mine, she is tip top at her spells you know, not just a pretty face. But we shouldn't be noticing her face at all should we old man, she might hex us, and she would you know, the intelligence of that woman is astonishing, best newts in her Hogwarts class then anyone had every got, including you. But then you got this lovely job, you really don't need loads of intelligence to pull this job off do you? Lucky for us huh that Hermione is around to save us if we ever get into strife. Then again she's in Bulgaria now with a certain Mr. Krum, here's hoping he doesn't poach her away from us. She's such an asset the department, but we shouldn't be noticing her assets either, Oh well, I must be off then, I have people to see and places to go. I will be seeing you at 8, but it will be a much less efficient place without our Hermione wont it C-boy?". He winked at the astonished Cleveland, who had just stood there letting the flow of words wash over him. After Eddy left he turned and walked back to his office. It seemed that people were aware of where Hermione was going, and that might destroy Viktors plans for the snotty little miss.

XXXXXXXX

Eddy apparated back to his home to work out what to do next. He had to find out from Hermione herself how she felt about George. That way he knew how to respond to George's mothers questions. Molly was just desperate to know if her son and Hermione were going to get it together. She had seen them together that night at the burrow, as well as Ginny, and had confronted her son the next day. He had confessed his love for Hermione to her, then sworn her not to get involved. He believed that Hermione would not respond well to match making. Eddy agreed with George, not that he had ever met the man, but he knew Hermione and she hated any type of manipulation, especially in her personal life. He had told Molly this and she agreed; now she just wanted to know how Hermione felt. When Eddy realised that Hermione was going to be gone for a long space of time he knew that he would need to find out for her, or risk being killed through nagging before Hermione came back.

Eddy knew Mrs. Weasley due to the fact that Eddy was a chef in his spare time. He actually taught classes like "Spells for large company entertaining" and " A romantic dinner only works if you spend it with him, not the kitchen". He was hugely popular with a certain demographic; the female housewife on a budget. His greatest achievement was when his classes were included in the _'Witches Weekly_'s' list of things to do to improve your house hold skills. He met Molly during the class "Cooking to a budget, When Old Mother Hubbords cupboard is bare". 

They found out they had friends in common when Molly was discussing with him her sons love life, during the course of the soufflé rising. They had instantly known that it was Hermione that George was in love with. One by mothers intuition and the other by a chef's personal brand of awareness. So when Molly confronted George and they were proved correct Eddy couldn't help but gloat, by sending the letter that informed Hermione that he knew about them, but not how he had come to that knowledge. He figured no one would ever pick him for a chef or Molly Weasley as his source of information so he was safe in pretending he had many underworld connections.

His way of finding out about Hermiones trip to Bulgaria was a lot less interesting. He had gone onto Cleveland's office to inquire about a certain regulation or something and had spotted a freshly inked piece of parchment with Hermiones name on the top. It was informing the Bulgarian Minster, a Mr. Krum that Hermione will be port keying to Bulgaria at 5am British standard time, which was late after noon in Bulgaria. Cleveland was still missing so he flicked through his in box until he got to the letter asking Cleveland for Hermione to come to Bulgaria to work on a special, top secret assignment, for an indefinite period of time. This was weird stuff, which was another reason why Eddy had tried to wake up in time to ask Hermione what was going on. Now he had to contend with Mrs. Weasleys questions, and his own curiosity as to what Hermione was up to.

He shook his head. There was only one way to find out. He was going to have to talk to George Weasley. Surely he would know what all this was about. Hermione must have spoken to him about Viktor Krum, or at least given him more information so he could keep Molly satisfied. Otherwise she was likely to talk so much that the cutlery and crockery would have to put earplugs in. It wasn't that he minded Mrs. Weasley, on the contrary he thought her a delightful lady, it was just that she was so incessantly loquacious that even the most stalwart of listeners grew weary.

Eddy decided to owl George explaining why he wanted to talk to him. He would also owl Mrs. Weasley, just to let her know that he missed Hermione, but would be meeting up with George, and to expect another owl when he found out more. That should be good enough for now. 

XXXXXXXX

George arrived at the store a few minutes before Fred. They had arranged to meet each other at the shop at 8 in the morning, so they could have an hours study time with the books before the opened WWW.

George looked around the empty store. It looked so mournful when it was closed. There was no laughing children, no scheming adults, and no noise except for the sounds of Diagon Alley outside the window. 

George spread the books on the table. He better get started if he wanted to be finished by tonight, he had a date with Hermione to look forward to. 

The books were titled things like "_Hexes for your best friend- not permanent but fun_" and "_101 ways to laugh_". George had high hopes that something might be in one of the books. He needed a lucky break. Things were not as bad as they could be, Fred and himself having a few ideas for jokes in reserve, but the high name they had won for themselves in the industry might suffer if the block continued. They were not the highest grossing store in the practical joke industry for nothing. It was a highly competitive field, with Zonkos joke shop close on their heels. It was hard to earn a name in the field, and easier too to lose credibility. In fact, if they didn't create a new influx of pranks within the next week they would start to lose customers. And a lost customer is harder to get back then an angry Hippogriff. 

The door giggled, which made George looked up. Fred walked in and sat down at the table across from him. He appeared to be waiting impatiently for something. Then gave up and spoke.

"So, did you pash? Am I your favourite brother for setting you to up? Don't you want to shower me with kisses, or would Hermione get too jealous?" 

"None of your business what we did or not. And for your information, you are not my favourite brother; Hermione was ready to kill me for what you did. She thought I had set it up, it took a lot of fast talking on my part to get her to even look at me." Or kiss me his mind echoed. " How did you find out? Did mum tell you?"

"No I figured it out by myself, the smart little cookie that I am. Mum knows does she? Well then it's official. You two are going to get married. She is not going to let you do this yourself. I imagine she is already planning the wedding, you know how she is. Ginny saw you two you after the engagement party, she thinks she had something to do with setting you two up. Has Hermione said anything to you about a book, that's what Gin said got you two together." At George's bemused look he shrugged. "I dunno either. It must be girl stuff." With this statement the brothers nodded. Girl stuff. Anything could be explained with those two words. 

"Well girl stuff or not something worked. She said that she would see me today, and that she just wanted to think. I hope that she wants to see me again. She means a lot to me. I didn't realise how much until recently, when having her seemed within my grasp. I can picture us together now, and I can't stop thinking about her. I really love her, in fact when I am with her I feel like nothing else in the world matters. I am in another place where it is just the two of us…" He trailed of, noticing Fred's amused expression. "What?"

" You have it bad. I don't believe that my brother could be so sickly sweet about someone. So you love her huh? And I don't want to hear any more of that mushy crap. I assume she feels the same way, she looked like it last night, and girls only need to think when they really love you, otherwise she would have told you where to get off and that would have been it, no more chances for our Georgie-boy." 

"You really think she feels the same way? I mean, last night she said she would never love me, but then she kissed me… I don't understand girls. She said that she didn't want to be with me because she wanted to be with me too much. What in Merlin's name does that mean?"

" Dunno bro… They're a mystery to me too. So are these our books? Have you found our new canary cream? We need a new best seller. Hmm '_The art of humorous transformation_'. That sounds promising." 

They both bent down to the books, minds thinking furiously of ways in which the spells could be marketed. Soon the pad of paper that lay in middle of them both was covered in ideas. It was a success! There came a scratching at the window. An owl was outside, wanting to get in. Fred got up to let it in, and took the message from its leg. 

"Its for you lover boy. Probably your confused girlfriend saying that she has thought about things and now believes that she is a Hinkypunk. That would just really top things off for you." 

"No its not from Hermione it's from someone else, a guy that works with her… " He continued reading the letter in silence, his face growing grim. At the end of the letter his face resembled the stone gargoyles out the front of Azkaban. Upon finishing the letter he sat down to write a reply. By this time Fred was dancing on the spot with curiosity.

"Tell me, tell me what was in the letter, you look so mad. What did he say? Is he having an affair with Hermione? Did she really turn into a Hinkypunk?" For an answer George thrust the parchment at him. 

__

To George Weasley, 

Hi, you don't actually know me, having never met, but I work with Hermione Granger at the Department of Muggle relations. I also know your mother, Molly, as she is one of my cooking students

I am writing to you to satisfy my curiosity on several things. I need to know what you want me to tell your mother when she asks me about Hermione and your relationship. She was quite distressed when she swore not to interfere in your relationship; it means a lot to her you know, she hasn't got much else to do since you all grew up. So if you could just let me know that would be splendid. Otherwise I will never be heard from again, for I fear to know what Molly would do if I could tell her nothing. 

Next up, and of equally pressing importance is a question. Who is Viktor Krum? As you are aware, Hermione has been sent on a trip to Bulgaria this morning, by special request of a Mr. Krum. This is quite puzzling, as I cant work out who he is or why he wanted Hermione to help with their project. 

I hope you have some answers for me, I am burning up with curiosity.

Thanks for your time,

Eddy M.

" That's why you're so mad, 'coz mum blabbed to her teacher? Or 'coz of this Krum thing? Krum? Wasn't Krum Hermiones boyfriend once? Don't tell me you are jealous. It was in the past. Hermione would never cheat on you, never, you have to trust her." Then Fred realized exactly what he had read. "Hey did Hermione tell you that she was going to Bulgaria?" At the negative he looked a little concerned. " Well that's weird. She was requested by her ex boyfriend and didn't tell her current boyfriend that she was even going…no I'm sure there must be a reason, I mean you wouldn't do that unless-"

"Unless you didn't want your boyfriend to know. Unless you were keeping it a secret because you still had feelings for your ex, and wanted to see how things worked out there, before you even told your boyfriend you wanted to be with him. Unless you were just playing him along by telling him lies to make him want to look after you, to make him want to be with you." George stopped talking; he didn't want to continue that line of thought. It hurt too much. In fact, he didn't want to talk to anyone now. He just wanted to go away, leave before Fred realized how hurt he was. 

"Where you going, off to save your girlfriend from her evil ex lover"

"No I am going to talk to this Eddy guy. I want to know every thing he does, I don't understand this situation any more then I understand girls."

"I think your going off in a sulk. You should just owl Hermione and find out what's going on straight from her. Don't go jumping to any silly conclusions, you'll land wrong."

" Huh, you don't know what its like to have very thing you ever wanted within reach, then to have it ripped away in a heart beat. You don't understand my pain." 

"I know a lot more then you think. I don't want to sit here and listen to you moan about how sad and sorry you are. Either you leave or I will, and I think I would get more work done right now, so go, find Eddy and sort yourself out." George stood up.

"You're right, about finding out from Hermione, but I don't want to hear what she has to say if it's not what I want to hear. I'll be back later, after I've had time to think."

He walked out the door. It gave a sort of half-hearted giggle, as if it could sense how he was feeling. Then it slammed, leaving Fred with a pile of books and no one to help him study. His disgust with scenario was obvious as he opened the book closest to his arm. The one thing Fred Weasley hated to do was hard work with out his twin.

Aww… poor Freddy. And how wrong did our Georgie boy get it. This chapter was so long, but I simply couldn't find where to finish it. I just kept going and going, like an energizer bunny.

Next Chappie: Bulgaria! What's that Krum really up to? I wish I knew, he keeps changing his mind:

****

Krum: Send Hermione to me, I want her in Bulgaria.

Muse: Why, are you going to attack her?

****

Krum: I might, or I might do this (gives muse a big bunch of flowers)

Muse: (Blushing) Aww that's so sweet. Don't you hate Hermione though?

****

Krum: No I love her, and am planning on proposing…

Muse: WHAT!!! That's Georgies job!

****

Krum: Actually, I will be killing her as soon as I have her trust, you know when she lets her guards down. (Grins seductively) I have killed all my ex girl-friends you know.

Muse: I bloody give up Krum. I'm going to go talk to Eddy, he can make me dinner.

Now you see my dilemma. If I don't know what Krums doing then I will never finish this story. He is driving me bonkers, and he's not even in the story yet. It should be better when I write him in, then he won't be hanging out in my mind, causing far too much confusion. Is he good or bad? HELP ME…

Any way now its time for the thanking of my reviewers. This is my fav part of the story, I love to feel special and that's what you make me feel like…Now I'm going to cry…I cant Krum is there, he is telling me that I'm big sook. 

If anyone want to have a Krum inside his or her head I don't advise it… Very bad idea.

Dream: Thanks for reviewing, and a big hug to Jade for putting you on to the story. 

Gwen Potter: Thanks for the continued support, hopefully this chappie doesn't have as many mistakes J 

Laney: I made the book up, but I stole the basic idea from a combonation of Taroc Cards, fortune cards and those angel cards, as well as the typical self help relationship books. 

Sandra: I think a copy of the book would be available from Hermiones book shelf.

Smudged: Thanks for following this story. I love this pairing the best. 

Lyn: You also won the 10 points for the trivia question. I agree, most people should know the answer. 

Tara: Thanks for the darling review. You need to read the next Chapter to find the next word. Hermione has been far to busy picking fights with her boss to read more, but trust me, the next word will come up in Bulgaria.

Jesse S. Are you the same as Jessica S? Did you review my chapter 1? Thanks for the rewview anyway, GR8 1.

Clare: Thanks, you rock. I thinks that there is so much to the twins then meets the eye. The have so much hidden talent. Just because they have fun that doesn't mean they are capable of this amazing sensitivity that just melts you down…I love them, Can you tell?

Dmbabe: Next chappie posted as ordered. Thanks for the repeat review, they're my favourite. 

Halfling: Your signature keeps changing and getting cooler and cooler. Who will be next indeed, you make me shudder. I don't want anyone to be next, I love them too much.

This has to be the longest authors notes I ever wrote. I am just so bouncing around, wanting to share my life with you guys. The fact is that I have just come back from a small holiday in which I missed all my friends, because the people I went with I didn't know and now I can see my best friends again and I am really happy.

I might just sign off here and duke it out with Krum over whether he is evil or good.

Love you, 

Muse.


	5. Love and the pain of loving

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter land, good thing or we would still be waiting for The Prisoner of Azkaban. The lovely J.K. can keep them, she is doing a wonderful job. I will just borrow them, tardy as this post is. L 

A/N So sorry, I lost my mind and finally found it now. This has been waiting for ages on my computer and it was only the prompting of my sisters that got me back on track. There is really no excuse for pure laziness but that is the only excuse I can give you. I apologize profusely and hope that some of you guys can forgive me for ignoring your pleas to continue. I can only say again sorry and that I hope you enjoy this chapter. As the say, better late then never and this is very late. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!! 

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Chapter Five 

Hermione looked around the room she had just emerged into. It was a dark room, lit only by the light of a dying fire and a single torch burning on the wall. It was hung with tapestries depicting battles, all with the overhanging eyebrows and the burning eyes that appeared characteristic to the Krum family. There were stuffed animals on the wall, yet on closer inspection Hermione gasped. They were animals but what type of animals she couldn't be sure. In fact it seemed to be a Minotuar, and next to it there was a fabled winged horse, and a Gruagach. It looked like the evil lair of a monster, out of a Gothic fairy tale, and it was. 

At the sound of Hermiones gasp Viktor Krum moved out of the shadows from where he had been observing her. She was still as attractive as she had always been. He decided then and there that his plan would work, that it must work or else he would go mad. He wanted her with a burning passion, and Viktor Krum had never failed to get what he wanted. He spoke to her then, the sound of his voice sending shivers of remembered fear coursing down her back like cold water.

"So nice to see that you are as punctual as ever my little dove. I am allowed to call you that aren't I? I did so love your name but it was so hard for me to say. My little dove works so much better for me, I can see you as the caged bird, so beautiful, yet trapped by the worlds stupidity. You are so much smarter then many. That is why I called you here. You see I have a problem, that only you can solve." As he said that last sentence his voice dropped down to a seductive whisper, that Hermione had to fight to hear.

He had a problem? She had a problem. She was stuck in a room with her old rapist, and no one knew where she was. She was a fool to think she could ever do this, she should have turned Cleveland down, been fired, quit or anything to not be in this situation. Sure she was smart, but brains weren't everything. Krum was watching her, she could feel his eyes, they were always so strong, so powerful. He sat down and patted the seat next to him in a friendly manner. This jogged Hermione out of her panic. _He_ was trying to be friendly? This was a laugh. After what he had done to her he was trying to be suave and hold a conversation? Apparently so because he started talking again, this time without the seductive manner he had adopted the first time. In fact it seemed like the first time they met, with both of them awkward around each other.

"Hermione, you portkeyed here, instead of to the office because I had something to say to you. I apologise. I never meant to hurt you, and at the time I didn't think how my actions would have an effect on you. All I knew was that I loved you and needed to be as close to you as possible. I was spoilt, never considering the repercussions of any of my actions, and I saw you as my ultimate goal. That night I went a little crazy and it was wrong, so very wrong. I am neither excusing what I have done, nor justifying it. I am simply apologising for my horrible mistake. I hope you can understand the pain I am going through right now when I think of your anguish. You still mean so much to me and I am determined that you will not go home until I can look you in the eyes and not see pain. You are like a frightened deer, but I am a hunter no more. Please accept my peace offering of dinner tonight, so you can see I am not monster, but just a silly human boy desperate for your forgiveness." He gave her that shy smile that had melted her heart in fourth year, and destroyed her life in seventh. Was he serious, or was he just trying to do what he had done before? Hermione wasn't sure. There had seemed a certain amount of sincerity in his voice and eyes, but he was an accomplished aristocrat accustomed to performing on the media stage. Could he really be apologizing? It seemed surreal, but some people do grow up. He hadn't tried anything yet, and if she did she would be ready for him. She would accept his peace offering, but only at face value. If he was playing a game with her then she would play one right back.

"I will go with you tonight, so that our working relationship is conducive to the most efficient work we are capable of. I assume we will start on the project tomorrow, is that correct?" She said this briskly, as professional as possible. The less he knew about his effect on her the better. She didn't want him to have any more weapons in his arsenal; he had enough as it was.

"Yes, tomorrow will be a good day for work, tonight is time for play. You must tell me what you have been doing since you ran away from me, my little dove. I have missed your conversations. You are the only witch I have ever met who was as beautiful as she was intelligent. Follow me to your rooms. You will be staying here, in my castle with me. Get dressed and ring the bell, a servant will lead you to the foyer where I will be awaiting your radiant presence." With that final compliment he slipped away, leaving Hermione blushing furiously, uncertain of why in front of a large set of doors. She pushed them open and sank down in front of them once she was inside. Why did she feel that dinner was going to be a lot more then she bargained for?

XXXXXXXX

Krum allowed himself a triumphant smile as he left her quarters. It was working like a charm. She would soon be his and only his. She was so beautiful, so amazing. He had never wanted anyone else as much as he wanted Hermione. Yet this time he would wait. She would give herself to him. Beg him to take her and hold her. She would want nothing but him. She had rejected him once before and in his childish stupidity he had forced her. Now he knew that you had to wait, and take it slow, the longer the wait the better it was. Hermione was the only girl who had ever rejected him and it had stung at the time. He had ignored the pain and gone on with his life, but there was always the memory of Hermione, of her laugh and of her hair, and of the time they had spent together. He was in love with her, and had stuffed it up the first time, but now he knew what to do. A few more comments like those at dinner and then let her sleep on it. In the morning confess the absence of a project, explaining it was his need to see her. He would beg her to spend a few more days with him, just so she would understand how sorry he was. It would work. It had too. She must not leave him again, she belonged with him.

XXXXXXXX

'She belongs with me', George Weasley thought furiously. How dare she go gallivanting around Bulgaria when he was at home, waiting for her to come back to him? If she wanted to have an affair with her ex-boyfriend then that was _fine _with him. He just wished she wouldn't. She meant too much to him for him to be happy about the situation. What he needed to do was speak to this Eddy guy. Maybe he would have some answers. He entered the Ministry of Magic buildings, jumping in the elevator up to the Muggle floor. He brushed irritably at the memos around his head. He was not in the mood for the hilarity of the MOM, in fact he needed to speak to Eddy so that he could get back to working with Fred on the new spells. 

Once he entered the floor a bustling man, with little bulging eyes approached him. The man had a large grin on his face; a fact that did not escape George. The man did not look the type that would grin often. 

"Can I help you or have you just come to look at the most efficient department in the building?" 

" I am looking for a man named Eddy. Apparently he works here, with…" No he was not going to think about Hermione. What if she was with Krum? He wiped the thought from his mind; self-torture was too easy for George Weasley. 

"Ah…Edward. He's over there" pointing at a table in the corner the man left, obviously not impressed by George's request to speak with Eddy. Eddy was sitting at the desk, writing as fast as he could, a pile of scrolls balanced on his desk. As George watched another scroll was flicked to his desk from the bustling, grinning man. He was definitely overworked and George loathed to bother him, but he had to know what was going on. He couldn't just stay in the dark.

"Hi, my name is George Weasley, um… are you Eddy? The one who sent me the letter? I just wanted to talk to you about a few things." Eddy looked up at George then smiled.

"You look exactly like I expected you would. Sit down, Molly has told me all about you, She can talk for ages about you, and all your family. That's good though because I can talk for ages too. I guess that's why we along so well. In fact I'm glad you came, I do have many questions for you. It's about Hermione. I'm very worried about her trip to Bulgaria. I've done some research on that Viktor Krum character that asked for her, and he seems to be a very unsavory person. Not that Hermione can't look out for herself, but he has got a bad reputation." He grimaced. "I don't know, but I was hoping you would understand things a bit better, considering your relationship with her."

"I don't have a relationship with her, she didn't tell me anything about her trip. She just left. I think she prefers Krum to me". He sounded petulant, like a little boy. But he had been hurt so perhaps it was understandable, however the tone in his voice made Eddy quirk an eyebrow at him. 

"I think I need to tell you all I know so that you don't go flying off on a tangent. You are over reacting to Hermione's trip. Now, from the start: Hermione is madly, head over heel in love with you. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. She was freaking out over you and then cracked it at our Boss." He nodded at George's inquiring glance at the greasy man who welcomed him. "Yes him. He liked the way she looked in a skirt and our Hermione told him off, quite well in fact. She was an inspiration to the whole feminist world." He took a breath, then continued. 

"Anyway, for punishment she was sent to Bulgaria to do some no credit work. That was not wholly his idea. He had received a letter the day before from a guy in Bulgaria, asking if Hermione Granger worked in this department. When Mr. C confirmed that yes she did he then asked if she could be sent to Bulgaria. The two of them did some boy business talking, this Krum fellow apparently assuring Mr. C that he would be making life hell for Hermione because he instantly agreed, and Hermione was gone the next morning. That's all I really know. Can you tell me why this Krum fellow wanted Hermione to go to Bulgaria? Who is he and what does he want with her? Plus, why are you so dead set that she likes him more then you? That's just crazy talk that is. You don't look like a crazy boy; Hermione wouldn't like you otherwise." 

"Are you saying that Hermione loves me?" George was still astonished. She did? Why had she run off then? Was there still hope for him? Maybe Krum wouldn't get her. But what was all the other stuff, Krum asked for her…that would mean that he wanted to see her. And if a man like Krum wanted to see his Hermione it could only mean one thing. Bad news. George did not trust the man an inch and now Hermione was stranded in Bulgaria with him. 

Eddy was watching him curiously. He could read George's face like a book, and it was telling him that George knew something about Hermione and Krum.

" So what do you know? I told you all I know, just to clear your head of silly misconceptions, now you have to return the favour. I am forming some very strange ideas. Is Hermione a Colombian drug lord and Krum her partner in crime? No…I know she is starting an international ring of house elf advocates, and Krum is the Vice president in the Bulgarian cartel. Tell me George, or I will tell Molly how silly you are being." He looked hard at George. George was still looking a bit dazed, like he had suffered a shock, perhaps he shouldn't have told him that Hermione was madly in love with him, Eddy might get nothing lucid out of him for the remainder of the day.

" No nothing like that. Hermione and Krum used to date. Then at the end of Hermiones last year at Hogwarts Krum invited her to stay at Bulgaria with him. She accepted, thinking nothing of it. Krum abused her dreadfully and she fled back to the safety of England and tried to block the memories of that trip. She was successful until she told me, that's when all the repressed emotions came back. I think she was getting over it, but then he goes and finds her, and makes sure she gets sent to Bulgaria again. For what reason I don't know, possibly to finish off the job he did on her last time. She is so brave, but I don't think she can handle that man. He is the one thing that I have seen reduce her to a sobbing wreck. Nothing has ever done that to her, not anything that happened during the War, and she saw a lot of things…" He trailed off, remembering how he had felt when Hermione and Ron had been kidnapped by the Death Eaters to try and ruin Harry. It hadn't worked, as the pair were stronger then the Death Eaters had realized, having been taking lessons in the Defense against Dark Arts by all the members of the Order of the Phoenix, the real Dumbledores army. That was one of the worst times in George's life, as he and Fred had been on a special mission and could not do anything. The pain that George had felt when he thought that Ron and Hermione were dead was immense. It was at that time when he realised that he loved Hermione, that she was special, and yet it had taken all this time to even get close to her. He didn't want her to be in Bulgaria, especially not with Krum, yet she had not told him she was going. Eddy said that she loved him, but that was just his word, not Hermiones. Was it possible that she wanted to be with Krum? Maybe it was what she needed to exorcise her demons, but there was a niggling doubt that she just didn't want a life with him, she wanted Krum, as unlikely as he told himself it was.

"You need to snap out of this funk you're in, its very hard for me to follow your train of thought when you keep derailing it. OK, so Krum is Hermiones ex, who we don't want her spending time with because he is so bad. Hermione didn't tell you she was going and you are a silly bugger who jumps to conclusions so fast that I have to tie you down." He smiled broadly at George, " plus my info that Krum asked for her we have nothing solid to base our opinions on. When you have no ideas you must go straight to the horses mouth. Lets us owl Hermione, find out what she's up to. She probably just left the house in a hurry and didn't have time to let you know." And then, changing the topic he said " I have got to do some more work now, Mr. C is just waiting for an excuse to fire me, jealous of my superior good looks, or my keen intelligence no doubt. Come with your mum to her class tonight, we will talk more then, and you will finally be able to Cook without Fuss, that's tonight's lesson. Now go, write her a letter and tell me all about it tonight." George slowly stood up. He hadn't really got many answers from Eddy, in fact he just had more questions, our niggling doubts. He was not sure what he meant to Hermione, no matter what Eddy said it was possible that he was wrong. Men never could understand women, so he shouldn't trust Eddy with that. Eddy was making shooing motions with his hands. 

" Get out of here, you're just taking up space. Write her a letter. Talk to her. Off you go lover-boy." George left, leaving Eddy to his own thoughts. They were complicated and worried. He was a bit concerned for Hermione. Viktor Krum had an infamous slogan attached to his name "_He always gets what he wants"_ He wanted Hermione, and if the rumors were true then he had already taken her. Why he would want her again was beyond Eddy, unless Krum didn't feel that what he had done to Hermione counted. If Krum wanted Hermione then she would have no defenses. Krum was regarded as one of those men who had it all. Looks, money and charisma. Hermione might even feel something for him, which was so much worse. It was true that you always kept a small part of your previous relationships with you, no matter how bad they might have been. George was far too worried already for Eddy to share his concerns but the fact remained, Hermione was not safe over there with the maniac. 

XXXXXXXX

"Harry!" Ginny Weasley howled at him. "You are meant to be my fiancée yet you are taking mums side on everything. I said that I wanted to marry you, not mum. The two of you can just plan my wedding without me then. I'm sure you wont miss me, you don't hear me when I talk to you anyway" then she smiled and everyone relaxed. " I'm kidding, its just that I don't want one of those huge weddings with the whole world invitined. I want to feel special, not on show for all the newspapers to get a shot of." 

"But Ginny dear, you are a famous person now. I mean you are marrying Harry Potter and you have your own legion of fans too, Miss Weasel. The people in the wizarding community will want to know about the two of you, you are their darling couple." After the war had finished the world was in mourning, for many of their pillars in the community had been killed. Albus Dumbledore was one of them, a loss that affected everyone. They turned to Harry Potter, to give them the hope for a better world. It had been a long time coming, but everyone knew that Harry Potter was going to marry Ginny Weasley. Molly Weasley understood this, when your world has been torn away you need someone to cling on to, and unfortunately it was her daughter who provided this. " The wedding must be publicized, you can't hide it because then the day will be destroyed by journalist trying everything to sneak in. Better we invite them, then we know exactly where they are." 

"I agree with Molly, dear. I know you don't want it big, but that's the way it will have to be." Ginny groaned at Harry patronizing tone. He didn't understand. He had lived with the publicity forever and was used to it, but Ginny was not going to give in without a fight. She knew that what they were saying was right, but it just wasn't what she wanted to do. Plus if she argued hard enough she might win a different issue. She wanted Luna Lovegood to do the wedding, but Harry wanted someone slightly more traditional. At least that's what he said but Ginny knew that it was the fact that he was embarrassed by his association with Luna, and didn't want the whole world to see. It was very wrong of him Ginny thought, and she was determined to win on that issue. 

"OK, I agree to have a huge wedding, we can invite everyone in the whole world, just as long as I get Luna Lovegood to do the ceremony. You get the big wedding, I get the celebrant. Deal? Harry? Mum?" She smiled victoriously, that was almost too easy, looking at their defeated faces, slowly nodding their acquiescence. "Now that that's sorted I think it's about time to-" She broke off at a furious banging and shaking at the door. George walked into the room, after finally beating the door handle.

"Mum, I want to talk to you, I need help." George had had it. It was too hard for him now; he didn't know what to do with Hermione anymore. All he knew was that he had to write her a letter, and hope for one in return. Molly turned to look at her son. He looked terrible. The overwrought boyfriend look didn't suit him. She knew what was wrong with him. The doubt that inevitably enters a relationship had entered his and he was not coping. She remembered years ago when she had suspicions about Arthur, and a certain woman. She had been reluctant to approach him and her marriage had nearly fallen apart until a friend had stepped in and mediated between the two of them. Sometimes it became necessary to accept help and intervention from people, just as George was now requesting hers.

"Yes dear, do you want to come into the kitchen? We can leave these two to their own devises and talk." He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table. 

" Mum, I need to find out if Hermione is in a relationship with Krum, her old boyfriend. She is in Bulgaria with him now, and she didn't tell me she was going. I don't know if she wants me or if she wants Krum. She didn't say to me if she was interested or not. Eddy, your teacher, said that that she is but I don't know. What if she still loves him?" Molly had seemed a little surprised when George mentioned Eddy but recovered her poise. 

"Son, you are acting like a little boy whose favourite toy has just been stolen. Do you think that Hermione might have had her reasons for neglecting to tell you where she was going? How would you have reacted if she had said to you that she was going to be visiting Krum over in Bulgaria? I think you would have gone off the deep end and been over possessive. Wouldn't you?" she asked with a slight grin. She knew how much her son valued Hermione, when she had seen the two of them on the couch together that morning it had brought tears to her eyes. She wasn't sure why Hermione was in Bulgaria, but she knew that George had better write her a letter, just to sort things out, even in just his mind. Otherwise she would get back to a man who had driven himself insane, and Molly was sure that Hermione didn't want that, no matter what Molly wanted. She decided that she wouldn't help George with the letter, she would just proofread it at the end to make sure it didn't sound too jealous.

" I want you to sit down and write her a letter, then we will send it to her. The Albatross service will get it there within the hour. Then you will get one back from her and that will be the end of that. No more excuses. I will be checking on you in about half an hour, don't send it with out me looking at it first, or you might scare her, in your frame of mind I don't know what you are going to say." With that admonition she left George sitting alone at the kitchen, a letter forming in his mind. 

XXXXXXXX

Hermione glanced around the room she would be staying in with a shiver. It was decorated almost identically to the room that she stayed in many years ago. Her brain was swirling and her face paled, why would he have given her this room, with all its repressed memories if he was truly repentant as he said. It was too hard for her to think in this room; it was all getting to her. Quickly she turned to her bags, she had to unpack, something for her to do, get her mind off the situation that she had inadvertently ended up in. She pulled her clothes out, stashing them in the cupboard. Next came the paperwork she had brought with her. At the bottom of her back there lay a book. 'The Alphabet soup of Love'. Hermione didn't remember packing it, the charm must have packed it without her recollection. She took it out of the bag. George! Why didn't she tell him where she was going? If she were him then she would be spewing. The book lay on her lap, tempting her to read it. The memories in the room were becoming claustrophobic. The book would get her mind of Krum and onto George. She shuffled the cards and turned to the appropriate page. 

**__**

Love.

Not to be confused with lust, love is when your happiness depends solely on another person's happiness. Love is something to be treasured, like a flower that blooms only when watered. You must water your love, for you surely have one if this is the page that came up. There are a few rules to follow when watering your love.

Don't drown it. Too much watering can kill off the roots, then eventually the blooms will die, because nothing lives without roots.

Don't forget to water it. Without water the blooms fall off, and if you neglect to water for long enough then the roots will die and you will be left with a dry husk.

Don't use straight water all the time. Variety is the spice of life. Mix a little fertilizer into your water every now and again. Otherwise your flower might not grow, but remain the way it is, and growth is important to any living thing. 

These rules are not set in concrete, yet it is advised that you follow them. 

The watering of a love can be a long process, but bide your time and you will be rewarded. 

Who do you love? Tell them and then you are their gardener for all your life, and they are yours. 

Was it just her or was the Alphabet soup of Love really losing the plot? A gardener? The thing with extended metaphors is that they are either extremely clever or not clever at all. She was a little unsure of what category the gardening metaphor fell into. It made a certain kind of sense. Don't be too gushy, but don't be too cold, and constantly allow the relationship to change, because a static relationship will drag both sides down. Well, the way she had been treating George was not over "watering the flower", it was more like neglect, with a healthy dose of cynicism. She knew she could trust him, and she knew that he made her happy and yet she was in Bulgaria and he didn't even know she was gone. She was running from him. Running so she would not have to face the question in his eyes. She did not think she was good enough for him. He was a Weasley, good at friends, laughing, sport and families. She was good at reading and that was about it. She still had virtually the same friendship group that she had had when she was 11. Her job was what kept her busy, not a social life. When she had a day off she caught up on her already caught up work. They were polar opposites, and yet when he held her in his arms it was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was the love between them that she felt, and that was such a powerful force that she was running scared; and into an even scarier situation. It was silly of her to be here in Bulgaria. She didn't want to be in the company of her former attacker. She didn't think that a leopard could change its spots. Krum might be nice on the surface, but she knew better. She had seen him at his worst and he was jealous, aggressive and dangerous. As she tried to think of ways to get out of dinner tonight there was a knocking at her window. It was an albatross with a letter attached to its leg. It was obviously tired, having come from England but as Hermione watched it bent its beak down into a small pouch and ate a tiny crumb of food. Visibly refreshed it flew off. 

" So that's how they do it." Hermione spoke out loud; the entrance of the owl had changed the mood from a pensive brooding sort of atmosphere to a lighter more home-like mood. Hermione stomach clenched when she saw the seal on the letter. George. Her love? How was it possible to be uncertain as to whether or not she loved someone? She guessed it wasn't whether she loved him, but whether she wanted a relationship with him. The letter even smelled like him. That musky male scent that was mingled with the smells of all the jokes in his store. It was uniquely George, Fred smelled completely different. 

Completely distracted for the moment Hermione was unaware that she was being observed. From behind a large tapestry Krum was watching her, a look of greed on his face. He didn't know whom the letter was from, but by the way she had smelled it the sender must be someone important to Her. A boyfriend in the UK? It was possible Krum admitted to himself, but he didn't really consider that a threat. He would win Hermiones heart, and then he would be complete, a whole man. He stalked off, back down the passage. He had a lot of work to do before dinner. 

Hermione opened the letter. It was plain and to the point. She guessed that he had some help in writing it, but then again it was quite possible that he had become a linguistic genius in the time she was away. She smiled at the thought, but then her thoughts went back to the letter. 

__

Hermione,

I know that you left for Bulgaria under slight duress, so it is perfectly fine that you are there. I also know that Viktor Krum is there. I know what he did to you and I want to tell you to be careful. He is not to be trusted, no matter what he says. Hermione assumed he wanted to say more, but was stopped by whoever edited his work. 

__

I am just going slightly mad back home, thinking of you over there with that man. I want to come and join you, so that if you get into trouble I will only be an apparition away. I will not join you if that is not what you want, but rest assured that if I hear nothing from you then I will come and find you. Again the desperation that was halted by the editor_. _

Please share your thoughts with me, I need to hear from you. You must know how I feel about you, and although I don't know that you reciprocate my feelings it is enough that you are aware of them. This letter is too impersonal to say all I want to, please let me come to Bulgaria, so I can see you in person. 

He seemed so forlorn, begging her to let him do what he wanted. Hermione guessed that it was either Ginny or Molly coaching him on the letter. In fact it was still a little to intimidating for her. They hadn't weakened his passions enough for her. Now she was certain of he way he felt, and no more certain about the way she felt, an impossible position for her to be in. She should write him back, let him know what was going on, that Krum was up to something and that she was on her guard. That she was wanting to come home and that she felt completely out of the depth and that she needed him by her side…but she wouldn't write that. It exposed her vulnerable side and left her open to attack. George would get mad at her for letting herself get in that situation. Then he would get mad at her going to dinner with Krum, and living in his castle. And while he was getting mad she would have no defenses. It was too hard for her to open up. She had tried when she had told him about Krum, but it wasn't only that. It was all aspects of her life. She would have to share everything, and that was a staggering thought. There would be no private Hermione, just an "us". Did she want an us? Did she love him? Too many questions; no answers. It was too messy for her ordered mind. She decided to dress for dinner, then write the letter before she went to bed for the night. She just wasn't sure of what she would say, and dinner might help her decide.

George would wait a bit, it was Krum that had to be dealt with now, in all ways.

That's it, but there will be more. I will attempt to write a new chapter now, then post it for you guys within a few weeks, instead of waiting for months before I post it. Thanks for those who hung on through my disappearing act, but I am back, with some new ideas:

Less indecision from Hermione.

More evil from Krum.

A lot of winging on Georgies behalf.

And a minor character might help out someone unexpectedly. 

Plus 12 points if anyone can tell where I got the Gruagach from. It exists in a few fantasy realms, and in one cultures mythology.

Thanks my lovely readers….

Muse. 


End file.
